Experts: Digital literacy in ever-changing world of vital importance

Dr. Arthur Langer and Dr. Lee Knefelkamp are two leading experts in the field of Digital Literacy research and they explained to more than 100 military professors and students the problem of digital "disruptors" and the need for digital agility in order to adapt to the latest technology at Maxwell.(Photo: Rebecca Burylo/Advertiser)Buy Photo

Failure to keep up with the latest technology means businesses -- and the military -- would face dire consequences. And that's where Cyber College comes in to help.

The institute is dedicated to combating digital threats by collaborating with the Department of Defense, the nation's top educational leaders and local communities and businesses, said Andrew Stricker with the Learning Science and Technology Team at Squadron Officer College.

As part of the initiative, Air University leadership at SOC invited digital literacy research experts and Columbia University professors Dr. Arthur Langer and Dr. Lee Knefelkamp to spend time with more than 100 military professors and students to explain the problem of digital "disruptors" and the need for digital agility in order to adapt to the latest technological threats.

It's a new warfare, unlike fighting hand-to-hand combat. The enemy can come from anywhere at anytime, they said.

"There's a special issue here. If a typical business or industry doesn't adapt to change, it might go under, but if the nation's military doesn't adapt to change that has very significant applications for this society as a whole," Knefelkamp said.

Stricker and his team have collaborated in the past with New York's Columbia University and now they are ready to apply that knowledge at Maxwell in order to fully understand the complexities of cyber warfare and how today's airmen must learn to adapt rapidly to the demands and challenges it brings.

"We're embedding this design of the next-generation of professional military education at SOC," Stricker said. "This is revolutionary in terms of its direct application."

Langer and Knefelkamp helped formulate the Technology Arch to help determine how well adapted an organization is to technology. They shared that with SOC professors.

"The arch focuses on how to become more digitally literate to cope with disruptions that will continue to affect our lives." Langer said. "It measures your competency and maturity with dealing with digital disruption or threats."

That change is coming rapidly. They explained that while radio took 38 years to reach 50 million users, Instagram reached that number in six months. The pair explained that the military must able to move at the same speed.